This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own
interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation.
You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations
above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation.
Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

First paragraph

Second paragraph

Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 36:1-41And the heads of the fathers' households of the family of the sons of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son
of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near and spoke before Moses and before the leaders, the heads
of the fathers' households of the sons of Israel, 2and they said, "The Lord
commanded my lord to give the land by lot to the sons of Israel as an inheritance, and my lord was commanded by the
Lord to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters. 3But if
they marry one of the sons of the other tribes of the sons of Israel, their inheritance will be withdrawn from the
inheritance of our fathers and will be added to the inheritance of the tribe to which they belong; thus it will be withdrawn from
our allotted inheritance. 4When the jubilee of the sons of Israel comes, then their inheritance will be added to
the inheritance of the tribe to which they belong; so their inheritance will be withdrawn from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers."

36:1-12 This is an appendix which refers to Num. 27:1-11.

36:2 "by lot" The major land division is done in Joshua 12-19 by the Urim and Thummim of the High Priest (see
SPECIAL TOPIC: URIM AND THUMMIM).
Exactly what "lot" was used to divide each tribal allocation into clans, families is unstated (cf. Num. 26:55-56).

36:3 "But if they marry one of the sons of the other tribes" Basically Numbers 35 is a follow-up discussion
about the daughters of Zelophehad, whose father had died in the wilderness without having had any sons. Their plight was
discussed earlier in the book of Numbers (i.e., Num. 26:53; 27:1-11) and the Lord had allowed them to inherit. Now, the problem
of marrying outside their own tribe is discussed. The simple solution was that they must marry someone within their own tribe
(Num. 36:6, 8, 12), the tribe of Reuben. This is what they must have done and it solved the problem.

36:4 "the jubilee" This refers to the fiftieth year, called the year of Jubilee (cf. Lev. 25:8-17; 27:16-24; see
SPECIAL TOPIC: FEASTS OF ISRAEL;
Roland deVaux, Ancient Israel, pp. 175-177).

Allocated land must be returned to the tribe and family. It was a gift from God. It could not be
permanently sold (cf. Num. 36:7, 9).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 36:5-95Then Moses commanded the sons of Israel according to the word of the Lord,
saying, "The tribe of the sons of Joseph are right in their statements. 6This is what the
Lord has commanded concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, 'Let them marry
whom they wish; only they must marry within the family of the tribe of their father.' 7Thus no inheritance of the
sons of Israel shall be transferred from tribe to tribe, for the sons of Israel shall each hold to the inheritance of the tribe of
his fathers. 8Every daughter who comes into possession of an inheritance of any tribe of the sons of Israel shall
be wife to one of the family of the tribe of her father, so that the sons of Israel each may possess the inheritance of his fathers.
9Thus no inheritance shall be transferred from one tribe to another tribe, for the tribes of the sons of Israel shall
each hold to his own inheritance."

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 36:10-1210Just as the Lord had commanded Moses, so the daughters of Zelophehad did:
11Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad married their uncles' sons.
12They married those from the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance
remained with the tribe of the family of their father.

36:10 This is a repeated theme which reflects covenant obedience. It is repeated often because of Israel's
repeated disobedience. See
SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 36:1313These are the commandments and the ordinances which the Lord commanded
to the sons of Israel through Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho.

36:13 This concluding statement (postscript) may refer to all of Numbers or at least chapters 22-36.